Wendell Poe has been seeing Drs. Narinder Arora, Eusebio Ferrer and Philip Dy for about two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Over the past two years, he has seen Dr. Ferrer frequently, and always admired the watches he wore. Wendell has an appreciation for watches, and Dr. Ferrer has a watch collection, so it was a frequent topic of conversation. “The first question I would ask when he would walk in was, ‘Let me see your watch,’” Wendell shared. He particularly admired one watch that Dr. Ferrer had, a Movado Fiero Watch, a very expensive Swiss watch.

Wendell recently broke his hip and came to St. Anthony’s for surgery and physical therapy. In addition, he is receiving radiation therapy, as his lung cancer has spread to his brain. Dr. Ferrer came to see him and they again shared their love of watches, particularly the one that Wendell admired. Wendell shared, “Dr. Ferrer knew I was getting bad, since the cancer had spread to my brain. So he did a really generous thing…..he took the watch I admired and gave it to the nurses to slip on my arm as a surprise. He tried to do it himself late one night, but I guess I woke up and he just said he was checking up on me. The nurses tried three nights to get it on me without my noticing and finally did it,” he said with a big smile. “The next night, Dr. Ferrer came in late with the biggest grin on his face. He just was very happy he could give me that watch to enjoy. That was a really generous thing to do,” Mr. Poe said with tears in his eyes.

Barb Huffman, R.N., was the third-shift nurse who slipped the watch on Wendell as he slept during the night, and was able to see his expression when he discovered it there the next morning. “I came in the room and since he hadn’t noticed it yet, asked him if he had the time,” she explained. “He said ‘Sure,’ and looked down at his wrist and was shocked to see the watch there. He knew instantly who it was from. Even though he is in his 80s and suffering from lung cancer, it was like he was a little kid again – he had the energy of a 20-year-old,” she said. “He was very touched that Dr. Ferrer would give such an expensive watch to him. In my over 25 years of nursing, I have never seen anything so heart-warming,” Barb shared.

Wendell Poe shared that his stay at St. Anthony’s has been “fun.” “We all have fun. I have fun with the girls and guys (nurses) up here (on the Medical Care floor), the escorters….we all have fun.” Wendell thinks that St. Anthony’s staff members are all exceptional. “You have a marvelous physical therapy area and staff! And the food you get to eat here is excellent, and so much of it!”